Ridgewood News Editorial: Coin caper calls for change
MARCH 28, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2014, 12:32 AM
A former public works inspector’s admission to the brazen theft of approximately 1.8 million quarters is troubling on many fronts. As The Record detailed last week, the effort to make off with what amounted to more than $460,000 in coins is astounding.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-editorials/coin-caper-calls-for-change-1.753168#sthash.LMUIaBiL.dpuf
2 more bone marow drives planned for Ridgewood man with lymphoma
MARCH 28, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
Two drives will be held for Ridgewood man with lymphoma
RIDGEWOOD — Several failed attempts to find a bone marrow donor for Anthony Daniels proved to be a blessing for five other cancer patients.
For 22-year-old Daniels, though, the search continues.
Two more drives will be held Saturday morning to help find a match for Daniels, who was diagnosed at 19 with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a ferocious form of cancer of the immune system that attacks white blood cells.
Daniels has twice beaten the cancer into remission, but it returned again several months ago.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/health-news/search-still-on-for-bone-marrow-match-1.753259#sthash.Enm8r5Im.dpuf
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Overturned dump truck Route 17 Ridgewood Closes down 17 South
March 28, 2014
Boyd A. Loving
10:43 AM
Ridgewood NJ, A dump truck carrying a full load of dirt overturned on Route 17 southbound under the Linwood Avenue, Ridgewood overpass on Friday morning. The driver was transported by ambulance to The Valley Hospital Ridgewood for evaluation.
Route 17 Southbound was completely closed between Paramus Road and Linwood Avenue while crews worked to remove spilled debris, right the truck, and tow it away. There was rubbernecking in the northbound lanes. Response by multiple agencies including Ridgewood PD, FD, Emergency Services, NJ State DOT, Ridgewood Public Works & Engineering, and Ridgewood Emergency Services.
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
These are fast times at Ridgewood High
MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2014 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY MARCH 10, 2014, 12:22 PM
By ALFRED P. DOBLIN
RECORD EDITORIAL COLUMNIST
JEFF SPICOLI would have been right at home in Ridgewood. The fictional Spicoli went to high school in Southern California in the early 1980s. In “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” Spicoli was a stoned teen played by Sean Penn with a serious case of the munchies.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/249232111_Doblin__These_are_fast_times_at_Ridgewood_High.html#sthash.BF8mLSmN.dpuf
National Breast Cancer Expert to Speak in Ridgewood
Valley and Susan Love, M.D. Invite You to an Update on Breast Cancer Nationally Known Breast Cancer Expert and Patient Advocate to Speak at the Ridgewood Library
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among American women. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 1 in 8 (12 percent) of women in the US will develop breast cancer during their lifetime.
Information is your best weapon in the fight against breast cancer. To learn more, The Valley Hospital invites you to join Susan Love, M.D., nationally known breast cancer author and patient advocate, on Monday, March 24, at 7 p.m. at the Ridgewood Public Library for An Update on Breast Cancer.
Please click here to read a story on Dr. Love that recently appeared in The New York Times’ esteemed Well column.
Dr. Love is one of the founders of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. As Chief Visionary Officer of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, she oversees an active research program centered on breast cancer cause and prevention.
She is best known as a trusted guide to women worldwide through her books, website and social media. The completely revised fifth edition of Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book was referred to by the New York Times as “the bible for women with breast cancer.”
To register for the program, please call 1-800-VALLEY 1 (1-800-825-5391) or visit www.valleyhealth.com/events. Space is limited so please register early to ensure a seat
Ridgewood names new village manager; first woman to hold the post permanently
THURSDAY MARCH 6, 2014, 10:33 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD – It has been six months since former Village Manager Ken Gabbert’s unceremonious dismissal, and in that time, the village council has been vetting candidates for his replacement.
That search ended earlier this week with the selection of Roberta Sonenfeld.
Sonenfeld, 59, will likely be formally appointed as Ridgewood’s next top administrator when the council meets next Wednesday night.
Sonenfeld, a village resident for 17 years with three decades of experience as upper management for a number of different financial institutions, said she is “ecstatic” about the new post and ready to hit the ground running March 31.
“My primary motivation is rooted in the desire I have to enhance the town and its financial stability,” said Sonenfeld. “I came across a posting on Facebook this week that said ‘It’s a beautiful thing when a passion and a career come together.’ That pretty much sums it up for me.”
Readers debate Urbanization of the Village
Editors note : History has shown us the problem is the Village simply has “ZERO” credibility in its ability to plan ,manage and implement large projects and too many seem to have their vision clouded by personal gain.
No one wants to see empty lots in the CBD , nor do most want to live in the “next, next ” Hoboken .
Like the Train Station renovation before , there is a way for everyone to get something positive, add housing , improve infrastructure , take into account schools and of coarse parking.
Whats lacking is a vision for the future of the Village. A vision uniquely by Ridewood ,for Ridgewood. Not about people getting elected or speculators getting rich off government connections .
This Vision must include Valley Hospital, CBD housing ,retail and parking , traffic and the Ridgewood School district.
The Village with its excellent schools , parks ,CBD, cultural institutions and easy access to transportation offers a very unique opportunity .
If we chose to destroy the character of the town , the very character that has attracted so many to the Village over the years , we will lose the very thing that makes us who we are….
The people advocating for high density buildings (and for Valley Hospital over expansion for that matter) do not care about our town. They care about making money. Once they make their money, if they don’t like what the town is like they will be able to leave. There is no middle ground we can get to right now because they want maximum $$. They will first try for maximum $$ via high density, and only if we defeat them will they come down a notch and try for slightly less (see Valley Hospital). Maybe after several defeats we might get to a middle ground, but even that will be temporary. People like this do not give up. 10 years after we reach a middle ground solution (if we do) they will be right back at it (or their children will take the helm) seeking to make $$ by ruining our Village…..
I think that is what has to be discussed. But to right away jump to conclusion and think over night or even years Ridgewood would turn into any of your examples is foolish and not forward thinking.
You think modernization and growth and you assume that means higher crime, noise, traffic and every negative thing you can imagine… But it doesn’t have to be that way if you develop a sustainable plan for growth through a thoughtful process.
The contextual makeup of Ridgewood is not sustainable. Look every town around us…. Minus glen rock… We are a old folks home… And it’s sad because we have an opportunity to be an example of a modern town that still remains true to its roots.
It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing deal. What i am really saying is that we are going to expand… No way around it it will happen eventually, just being honest. I rather the people that do care about this towns and it’s history be the ones making the plans and not the (as number one stated) money Hungary investors that can up and leave if it fails.
What rather you have?…..
We don’t want to follow the path of Hoboken, Paterson, Hackensack or NYC. Is there a suitable model out there?….
file photo BOYD LOVING
Ridgewood to step up enforcement of snow removal policies
MONDAY MARCH 3, 2014, 3:24 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood will be cracking down on property owners and contractors who violate the village’s snow removal policies, including those that require timely sidewalk maintenance and prevent private plowing into public roadways.
Local authorities stepped up enforcement on Feb. 21, but acting Village Manager Heather Mailander said last Wednesday night that regulations will be heavily enforced going forward. She said that summonses will be issued for all offenses, and in some cases, vehicles left in public streets during a snowstorm may be towed.
A lack of resources isn’t the only thing that has contributed to Ridgewood’s winter woes – in some cases, private property owners and plowing contractors might be to blame for some messy roadways.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/248245401_Ridgewood_to_step_up_enforcement_of_snow_removal_policies.html#sthash.tIww29Cb.dp
Ridgewood replaces tarp covering roof of Schedler house
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2014, 4:18 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The house on the former Schedler property has stood for nearly 200 years, but several Ridgewood preservationists believe this season’s snow and ice storms have put the building’s structural integrity at risk. And adding to the dilemma, those residents have claimed, is the fact that the village, for a few weeks this winter, was unable to effectively care for the home because of Mother Nature.
Acting Village Manager Heather Mailander, however, notified the public during Wednesday night’s council meeting that a new protective tarpaulin was finally placed atop the historic house on Tuesday. She also personally thanked members of Ridgewood’s signal and fire departments for their efforts, which required employees to physically work on top of the roof and assistance from a ladder truck.
The work completed this week seemingly calmed what had been a winter of worry for many residents in the Schedler neighborhood who are hoping to preserve the house. On Wednesday, Mailander said she spoke with some of the neighbors, who expressed their gratitude to the village.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/247624521_Ridgewood_replaces_tarp_covering_roof_of_Schedler_house.html#sthash.pbBxf6nF.dpuf
Excess sewer services fees in Ridgewood get flushed
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2014, 1:45 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood businesses and other entities that discharge an excessive amount of sewage into the village’s water treatment system will be charged at a rate comparable to previous years. The Village Council introduced last week an ordinance establishing the 2013-14 rates for those that deposit more than 109,500 gallons of sewage into the system.
The ordinance, which will be up for adoption next month, sets up a fee of $4.03 per 1,000 gallons in excess. The rate is the same as one previously approved by the village.
Last fall, officials proposed a fee increase to $4.44 per 1,000 gallons for 2013, and a spike to $4.84 per 1,000 gallons in excess for 2014. The enacting ordinance was eventually defeated, in part because of resistance from business and restaurant owners in Ridgewood’s Central Business District.
“The reason for [the fees] is [excessive discharge] puts extra wear and tear on our water pollution control facility. In addition, especially in the Central Business District, we put extra de-greasers into the system there because of all the food products that go into the system,” said acting Village Manager Heather Mailander.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/247295261_Excess_sewer_fees_in_Ridgewood_stay_at_status_quo.html#sthash.GL3Sd0Cn.dpuf
Ridgewood, Bergen County moving on plans for parking garage
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2014, 10:33 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
RIDGEWOOD — Village and county officials have been meeting on a parking garage partnership since late 2013, and have agreed that a parking study should be conducted to determine just how big that garage should be.
The Bergen County Improvement Authority would commission the study, which would take a few months to complete, Mayor Paul Aronsohn said. The authority will meet in the next week or two to discuss the study.
The results of the study, which will determine the village’s overall parking needs, also will dictate how many spots the new garage facility will eventually have and what rates will be charged to customers.
“We’re all on the same page, and the county executive is also into the idea,” Aronsohn said, adding that the parking study will be “comprehensive,” with results reviewable sometime this summer.
The Bergen County Improvement Authority will cover most of the costs of the study, but the design of the garage will be mutually determined by both the village and the county, Aronsohn said.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/Ridgewood_to_seek_approval_for_parking_study.html#sthash.eNZqZYiY.dpuf
pile of snow at Graydon Pool
Winter is taking its toll on Ridgewood
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2014, 4:42 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS AND LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITERS
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Following a snowstorm that lasted from Feb. 4 to 5, longtime resident Sal Falciglia saw a car stuck in the snow in downtown Ridgewood on Feb. 6, and couldn’t take it anymore.
“Our road department in Ridgewood is the worst road department in the world,” he said.
The plowing on Rock Road in Glen Rock was much closer to the curb than plowing he had seen in Ridgewood, he said, and “all my neighbors are sick and tired of it.”
Maureen Wolfson, who has lived in the village for 30 years, called this “the worst year ever” for snow removal. She “almost broke [her] neck” trying to put money in a parking meter at the train station, where the sidewalks were poorly shoveled, she said.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/246405921_Winter_is_taking_its_toll_on_Ridgewood.html#sthash.PWaPPjnd.dpuf
photo by Boyd Loving
Mystery cell phone tower in Ridgewood disappears
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2014, 4:27 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
A temporary cell tower that AT&T placed in Ridgewood without village notice has been removed, but possibly not for long.
On Feb. 10, the company submitted an application to the zoning board to temporarily install “what I assume is the exact same equipment that was the subject of the court summons … in the same location,” Ridgewood Zoning Officer Tony Merlino said in an email on Tuesday. “The process has begun to find them a spot on the zoning board’s agenda for a hearing.”
The temporary cell tower, which was roughly 100 feet tall and stood on a trailer, was removed on Feb. 11 from the Exxon Mobil station on Route 17, behind a building at 609 Franklin Turnpike.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/246402961_Mystery_cell_phone_tower_in_Ridgewood_disappears.html#sthash.IDps8AKi.dpuf
photo by Boyd Loving
Police roster limit to be removed in Ridgewood
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2014, 5:09 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood has started the administrative process to eliminate the maximum number of patrol officers and detectives allowed in the police department, a move that may ultimately give the village permission to unfreeze conditional offers of employment that were extended to two recruits in January.
The Village Council on Wednesday introduced the enacting ordinance, which states that the police department will consist of “so many officers/detectives as may be authorized from time to time.” The ordinance still limits the department to no more than four lieutenants and five sergeants, while the top brass remains at one chief and two captains.
The governing body will consider adoption of the new law during a special public hearing March 5.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/246403461_Police_roster_limit_to_be_removed_in_Ridgewood.html#sthash.vaUrMP8G.dpuf
Valley Hospital buying up string of properties near its Ridgewood site
Friday, February 14, 2014 Last updated: Saturday February 15, 2014, 12:40 AM
BY LINDA MOSS AND BARBARA WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITERS
The Record
As The Valley Hospital has struggled for years to expand its campus in Ridgewood, it has been quietly buying real estate in Bergen County, assembling a portfolio that includes a string of properties on North Maple Avenue in Ridgewood and the building that houses the New Jersey Children’s Museum in Paramus.
Over the past two years, the hospital, in some cases through holding companies, has spent at least $54 million to acquire roughly a half-dozen sites in the village and neighboring Paramus as potential future locations for doctors’ offices, along with outpatient and other services that would be moved from its main campus. Some of these newly acquired properties are already operating as off-site hospital facilities.
But the hospital’s plans for some of its other new properties remain unclear, and Valley’s real estate shopping doesn’t appear to be over. Recently, it has been in talks to purchase buildings that the global parcel deliverer UPS will be vacating on Winters Avenue in Paramus, as reported by The Record. If that deal closes, it would add another property to a medical-services cluster that the hospital has been creating in Paramus, near the Fashion Center mall.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/valley_paramus_ford_ridgewood_hospital_ups_real_estate.html#sthash.ETbswYzJ.dpuf
